Ants, cockroaches, rodents and even silverfish have been found crawling around at Addenbrooke's, according to new figures.

Pest control has been called out to the Cambridge hospital 529 times in the last five years to get rid of the beasts in clinics, wards, offices and public areas.

Figures obtained by the News under the Freedom of Information act found Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) have spent £104,670 in pest control since 2011.

Pest control was called out 94 times last year – at a cost of £21,449 - to banish creatures including rodents, ants and wasps from public areas, a trapped bird and silverfish in store rooms and flies in a clinic.

Although the hospital will not give specific locations for the creatures, it says it takes pest control "very seriously" and had deterrents, traps and "rapid response teams" to exterminate the problem.

The numbers of call outs were highest in 2013 with 119 which included bees and slugs in office areas, beetles and rodents in staff rooms, woodlice on a ward and an infestation of daddy long legs in staff areas and on wards.

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So far this year, there have been 35 call outs including ant infestations in public areas, clinics and wards and spiders in an office.

A Cambridge University Hospitals spokesman said: "We take pest control very seriously at Cambridge University Hospitals. We have in place both planned pest control – deterrents and traps – and rapid response teams, including contractors, to deal with any issues that arise.